New Apple Podcast App – Time to Get Podcasting!

Like so much “dead” Web 2.0 technology Podcasting has quietly grown into a very successful medium. Bottom line is people listen to podcasts while commuting, exercising or just sitting at their desks. At SimpleFeed our customers routinely see downloads in the tens of thousands. That is nothing if you are CBS, but if you are a B-B marketer or niche retailer, that is great! And it is poised to get better.

Over the last five years, Apple rode its iPod/Phone/Pad hardware and iTunes media synergies to podcast distribution dominance. With the growth of other categories in iTunes, it is hard to find the Podcast section and once there, challenging to search, discover and subscribe.

That ends today with Apple breaking out Podcasting into its own iPhone/iPad App, called, Podcasts. After install you are greeted with two sections, “Podcasts” where any existing subscriptions reside and “Top Stations.”

Under the Top Stations section, users can quickly flip through sections to discover, listen and subscribe to new podcasts. New audio controls include the ability to skip back 10 seconds or move forward 30 ala DirecTV. In the upper right is a “Catalog” button which takes you back to the iTunes Podcast interface. Subscriptions are synced back to iTunes.

Off the Podcast tab click an icon for a subscribed podcast and you are taken to a smaller version of the familiar iTunes Podcast “Artist Page.” Here you can listen to podcasts instantly. Apple also add the ability to Tweet, iMessage or Email the Podcast as you listen.  That is a nice feature which should make Podcasts more social and increase the virality of podcasting.

So if you have a podcasting program it is about to get better. If you never had a program think about publishing the sessions from your customer conference if you are a B-B company. If you are a B-C company public appearances, sponsorships, and really any audio product information is great. It is a cheap and effective way to market your offerings and it is about to get a big boost.